Journalists Rewarded for Their Contribution to Poverty

The award for best video story has been shared by journalist Rayhane Selimi, from Klan Kosova.

The best documentary was by author Kaltrin Rexhepi Dragusha, from RTK. The best audio-story award, however, has been split to the journalist White Shkreli of Radio Kosovo.

The best - written story award was given to Besnik Bolettin, while photographer Arben Llapashtica was rewarded for the best photograph.

AGK Board Chairman Gentiana Begoli Pustina said they are journalists, photographers and journalists who mostly contributed to fighting poverty, while added that policymakers are full against poverty only in election campaigns.

More than our colleagues, there are Kosovo politicians who were mostly heard about fighting poverty, but there are our colleagues who actually contributed to fighting poverty. They (politicals) were only heard, and mainly before election campaigns in Kosovo”, Begolli Pustina said.

Former Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga stressed that Kosovo has a high rate of extreme unemployment and poverty. She said the current poverty figures would be even higher if there were no international financial support and migration.

Jahjaga said that to eliminate poverty, Kosovo must create new jobs and socio-economic development.

The growth of poverty is one of the biggest challenges facing different countries, especially those in transition, as is the case of our state, Kosovo. Official poverty figures in Kosovo are disturbing, with over 30 per cent of the population in Kosovo unemployed, over 17 per cent live in poverty, out of which more than 5 per cent in extreme poverty, and this unfortunately affects all Kosovo citizens of all communities indiscriminately”, Jahjaga said.

Similarly, the case was addressed to Ulrika Richardson, United Nations Development Co-ordinator who said that such rewards for journalists matter to Kosovo society as well.

She said poverty is not fought only by economic growth.

<x) We have seen that Kosovo has had economic growth, but it has not become new jobs. So it's about the social protection system, which should be more motivated and developed”, Richardson confirmed.

Award winners, however, expressed satisfaction in assessing the work against poverty.